Cottontail Rabbits will appear to become more abundant this month.  This is because the grasses and plants that they eat are finally beginning to grow, now that winter is over.  Eastern Cottontail Rabbits began to breed this past month in the northeastern United States (where we are located);  Babies will soon be uncovered as their nests are found by pets and people.  In our area, rabbits breed about three times per year, with baby season lasting from April  through August or September.

Mom Cottontails will make their nursery nests away from their usual dens.  These bunny nests are merely slight depressions in the ground that are lined with Mom's fur (to keep the bunnies warm) and then covered over with debris from the surrounding area (to hide the nest).  Nests may be made in a flowerbed, vegetable garden, or smack in the middle of a yard or field  --  anywhere with good drainage and good ground cover qualifies as a good location.  We have frequently been asked why a Mom rabbit picks a particular nest site:  The answer is always that she will pick a site that is available to her.  We may not feel that the site is optimal, but it suits her for some reason (even humans build homes in flood zones!).  Normally, these nests are not found until after the bunnies have left the nests.  Sometimes, however, a dog or cat may smell the bunnies and find a nest.

Cottontail mothers do not stay at the nest site.  If she were to stay at the nest for a long period, predators would be alerted to the location of her helpless babies.  So she comes to the nest twice per day (usually at sun-up and sundown) to feed and care for her babies, then wanders away to feed and sleep. Since the babies only feed twice in a day, they eat a significant amount of formula each time they nurse, and missing even one feeding can be harmful.  Mom rabbit will usually stay within the vicinity of her nest in order to protect her young should danger approach.

If you ever stumble upon a bunny nest and don't see the mother around, LEAVE THE BUNNIES ALONE.  Unless the babies are injured, Mom will continue to care for them.  If the area surrounding the nest is busy with animals or people, she may have to postpone a feeding until it is safe for her to approach the nest, but she will not abandon her babies.  If the nest is damaged (as sometimes happens when a lawnmower lifts the top cover off of the nest), reconstruct the nest the best that you can and leave the rest up to Mom.  She will not abandon her babies if she smells a human scent on her babies (that is a myth), but handling should be kept to an absolute minimum so as not to stress the babies.

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This page last updated October 25, 2000